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Q&A-- About fleece bedding
Monday, April 7, 2008
Q: A visitor asks if we wash and reuse the fleece bedding.
A: We have two pieces of fleece (buy them with a coupon or on sale at Joann's or other fabric store!) and two sets of old towels. So on Saturdays we take Theo out, remove everything from is cage, pile of hay is gathered up, then we take out all the bedding (fleece and towels) and I spray down the coroplast with vinegar water and wipe out. Then I lay the towels in the bottom (each towel is folded for double thickness) and arrange to cover the whole thing. Then the fleece goes over the whole thing and we clip it to the coroplast to keep into place.
The fleece is then taken outside to shake off the remaining little pieces of hay.
Fleece gets washed separately on hot, then the load of towels get washed on hot. No fabric softener for either, I use vinegar in the rinse (i put into the fabric softener dispenser actually.) Dry as usual.
Like I've said, we don't notice any smell at all... though we only have Theo, multiple guinea pigs may require a 2x week bedding change, I'm not sure. We do "clean out the poos" by hand a couple times a day, and if I see any fresh (wet) wee-wee I'll dab it up with a napkin, but mostly he wets while in his litter box, or it has quickly wicked down to the layer of toweling.
Be sure to read a LOT on that C&C cages site. There's a ton of information to take in. If you DO decide to switch to fleece/towels... make sure you PREWASH your fleece 5-6 times before using to help with the wicking action of the fleece (instead of the pooling action new polar fleece usually has.) |
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MEMOS (1)
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New Home for Theo
Sunday, April 6, 2008
No, no, no... we didn't get rid of Theo!! *gasp*
Instead, I made him a new home.. a larger home... a better home. No more tiny pet store cage for him! No sir! Now Theo enjoys a 2' 6" X 5'8" cage.
 (sorry for the blurry photo!)
Less than a week after we got Theo I had found this C&C website and decided I had to make one for him. His "stuff" in his cage changes almost daily to keep him happy and give him new things to do, but this photo gives a general idea of what his new home is like.
The bottom of the cage is lined with old towels, topped by a piece of polar fleece. I'm totally AMAZED at how easy it is to keep his cage clean with this set up (no smell at all!) and we're saving SOOO much money by only having to use purchased bedding for his litter box.
This photo doesn't show what his cage REALLY looks like though. LOL It shows a day when I was trying out a new hay bin for him. (Made from a wire CD rack I'd picked up at the thrift store.) However, I've since changed that (of course) and now vary his hay menu from being served in a curved grid, laying as a "hay hut" or, as is his preference... just piling a big ol' bunch of hay up at the end of his cage and letting it be. He LOVES, LOVES to crawl through it.
I can't convey how HAPPY Theo has been since getting his new home. He has so much more room to exercise, to explore, to play. He wheeks and runs and popcorns quite often, letting us know just what he's feeling-- pure excitement.
Saturdays are the days for bedding change and it is worth it each time-- to see him all excited to get back to his new home after being in his temporary cage while I'm changing things.
And for your viewing enjoyment, here's a recent-ish photo of dear ol' Theo enjoying time laid out in his PVC y-pipe.
If you're a guinea pig (or ferret or bunny) owner, I STRONGLY suggest you go visit the C&C cages website. It is chock-full of information, ideas, instructions, and more on how to improve the quality of life of your furry animal. Not only do they cover (at length) how and why to construct a C&C cage, but the forums are a guinea pig lover's delight. From nutritional information, to health issues, to fun and floor time... the forums is a must read for all piggie owners!
Actually, just before posting this blog entry tonight, I went ahead and snapped a few photos of how his cage is today, with the hay pile.
 The big blue thing at the "top" of the photo is a little fleece blanket ($1.00 at Target)
that he loves. I have it draped over a "cozy cup" I made him. He's still not
too sure about the cozy cup yet, which is why I have it draped (since he likes
his blankey, thinking it might decide the cozy cup isn't too bad.) I do use the cozy cup
when holding him on my lap right now, to help in his getting used to it.
 The fleece is held into place on the coroplast (base of the cage) with big clips.
The cardboard tube is a salt box whose paper wrapper has been removed
and the ends cut off. Of course all salt has been well removed, too.
 And here's Theo wishing I'd quit taking photos. LOL
The cardboard tube (salt box) looks chewed on, but so far
he's not chewed on it. I'm just not real good with cutting cardboard
with a kitchen knife. LOL I do squish hay into it in the morning
sometimes so he has a bit of a fun challenge in getting it out of there to eat!
Well it is much too late now. I need to get in bed and get some sleep. Morning comes early when you have a guinea pig that you know is depending on you to come feed it. Thankfully, our DD enjoys this task and happily waters him, fills his pellet bowl and gives him hay (much to her delight), as she LOVES watching his popcorn and wheek and run around the cage like a crazy man, in excited anticipation of fresh hay!) I feed him veggies as soon as I get up. And for the record, yes... I'm USUALLY up way before our daughter is during the week. Come weekend though, I like to try to catch a few more ZZZZzzz than usual.
Okay, I'm off to bed!
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MEMOS (3)
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Right at Home
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Twenty-four hours later and you'd think Theo had been with us for ages. He's settling in very well, even wheeking a bit when held. He especially liked snuggling down into a towel on our laps today.
Kiddo and I went to the commissary today and picked up some various bits of greenery (Romaine & Red Leaf & Butter lettuces, parsley, green pepper, and cukes,) not only for Theo, but for us, too!
He went rather crazy for the Romaine, so far isn't too keen on the other lettuces, and dabbled at the parsley. We'll take food introduction slowly for him and let him figure it out.
Kiddo was pretty happy to SEE him "popcorn" a couple of times today. I liked that he finally goes in and out of the Quaker Oats tub (bottom cut out) with no hesitation. I do need to either buy something or rig something else up to hold his Timothy Hay, though. Today the hay was tucked lengthwise in a TP tube, and it works great, but isn't very easy to get in and out to refill. I've gotten a bunch of frugal ideas off the internet so I'll continue my efforts in rigging something for a while.
Here's today's installment of
"What is Theo Up To?"
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Please Welcome Theo
Saturday, March 15, 2008
After going out for breakfast this morning we drove to another town over and surprised our daughter by getting a guinea pig. He's getting acclimated to his new surroundings, love yanking on the shish-ka-bob bell, comes to the door when hay is presented and is still getting familiar with the Quaker Oats Man.
Kiddo is incredibly thrilled about finally having a "real pet!" Three cocooned silk worms and a chronic tadpole aren't very cuddly, we're hoping Theo gets used to lots of handling, hanging out, and as my DD called it "chillaxing" with her.
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MEMOS (1)
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